


We Left You Both

by Lokis_Little_Servant



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Emotions, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Internal Conflict, Jedi Training, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Torture, and god forbid me to kill more characters, someone slap these assholes back to their right minds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokis_Little_Servant/pseuds/Lokis_Little_Servant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They know they've seen each other before; in her dreams, his memories and their nightmares.</p><p>It's his power that attracts her to the darkness and her bravery that attracts him to the light.</p><p>It's their curiosity that pulls them together like magnets until they find the truth of their destinies-whether alone or together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've reposted the first three chapters (which were the only ones posted) because I got a beta reader who made it better! So re-read it if you're one of my former readers!

She had been so light in his arms when he carried her to his ship. He had ordered his men to detain the young woman and keep her sedated; she was, after all, powerful and a flight risk, even if she was incapacitated at the moment. He was drawn to her and the pulsing energy that fell in waves. Pulled miles by his curiosity, he found a girl who had only existed in his dreams before, more powerful than he imagined. In that moment, he knew that she was a danger to his ambitions.

There was something about her, though, that made him reckless. To open her eyes, what a game; to tarnish that naivety, well, that was appealing to say the least. He wanted to teach her the ways of the Dark Side and seduce her with power in the same way that he was, all those years ago, by Supreme Leader Snoke. Maybe it was the overwhelming power that ran through her; it was tempting but it was also wild and uncontrolled. He was, and a Knight of Ren should never be, intimidated. One could even call him _scared_. Could she control it? If she couldn't, he could be collateral damage. If she could, he could be her next victim.

Clearly, the only solution was to keep her in shackles until he could assess the problem.

A shaking Stormtrooper was the first to break his focus as he spoke: "Sir, the Resistance has had contact with the fugitive recently."

"Yes, I am aware." Kylo Ren turned, slowly and in full armor, to face the shaking man.

"Are we to ignore their presence, sir?"

"For now. Do not let them believe we know where they hide. Their planet is next, anyway." Kylo Ren could not ignore that the planet was where his mother and father hid and where they would perish.

 _That, Ben, is your_ family.

It was a gentle probe and one that would be dangerous to ignore. Could he really join his _family,_ standing with open arms and ignoring every crime that their precious Ben had committed? He froze, rigid in his stance and pushed the light from his mind. He relaxed his shoulders as he fell deeper into the Dark, enough to seem like the confident soldier he was.

"SR-3852. Tell the commander to ready the laser. Immediately!" he barked.

The soldier stumbled out of sight, trying not to betray his comportment. Kylo Ren ignored his shaking, focusing instead on his toy. Waiting for her to wake, both to consciousness and to the Dark, was a dreaded but necessary path. That fool, his Uncle, was right about some things; patience is important, especially if his patience rewards him as he hopes.

She had been out for at least two hours, but her energy was as awake as ever. Kylo Ren could only stare, crouched in his corner. What does a scavenger dream of? Is she even aware of how much power radiates off of her? The Force was a tantalizing option; he could break his way into her mind, if only to read her dreams. It could answer his questions, but it could also pull him into the light.

His hands clasped together, Kylo Ren struggled to maintain his patience, both with her and with himself. The light was calling louder each day, and, with it, his temper would rage. His fear of the light and of the Snoke pervaded every thought, but only one could touch him so far away in this lone quadrant of space.

"The force has shifted," Kylo Ren whispered as he held back his fear. "It came from you, scavenger. Not only have you made the force shift, but you drew Han Solo out of whatever hole he hid in." He pulled his breath in with a violent noise, reminiscent of his late grandfather. "I do not know how to feel about this. I haven't seen him in years, scavenger. He and my mother have been out of my life for so long-"

She stirred and he held his breath. Her dreams had turned dark, if her aura and her twitching was any hint. What did she fear? He could resist no longer. As he stood, he let his influence touch her and he delved into her mind.

A girl of no more than five cried, the sunset of Jakku lingering on its banks. Her tears ran down a red and dirt-clad face as some voice, disembodied, commanded, "Let's go."

 _That voice._ That voice broke his concentration and threw him from her mind. Who is she? He stared, uneasy and awestruck, at this girl who had upended him. He had no memory of doing anything on Jakku. In fact, he had no memory of ever seeing the girl, despite her familiarity.

As she woke, Kylo Ren let a positively feral grin tug at his lips while fear took her over. Oh, this game would be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey had woken gasping for breath, trying desperately to get air as her throat burned.

" _I promise you, Rey, you'll be safe."_

She could feel him lingering in some corner of her mind. Little did he know that she could get glimpses of _his_ dreams, his emotions, and his intentions. Sometimes, she could not separate his thoughts from her own.

One dream she could tell was not her own; it was her familiar nightmare. Always, a boy followed her as they navigated the lonely sands of Jakku. Her echoing cries and his voice, so soothing, brought her back to the world, drenched in sweat.

Tears cooled her hot skin as the wind hit them. Bravely, she wiped them away and tore her sheets from her body. With her hair down and clad in a jacket that once belonged to Poe Dameron, she wandered outside her room.

Even at this early hour, the Resistance was awake. The members' voices floated over the buzz of machines and beeps of a few charged droids. A few Resistance members even extended their greetings and wishes of good luck on her upcoming mission to retrieve Luke Skywalker and return him to his loving, if overbearing, twin sister.

She was responsible for prying the last remaining Jedi away from his sanctuary, a daunting task for sure. General Organa reassured her every time she met her with her worries; Luke was kind and not the withdrawn, cold Jedi of the past. He could seem positively mad at first, but always showed his loyalty and warmth as a mission ended. As if in a fugue, she found herself at the edge of the base with the cool breeze teasing her walnut hair.

Spotting an empty field, she decided to sit and enjoy the gentle wind. The planet was slowly waking and small animals stirred. No matter how peaceful her surroundings were, she could not escape the sense that her mission today would bring trouble. As the nearest sun rose and the morning sky turned a light, hazy blue, she was reminded to how alone she felt. Poe was asleep; Finn comatose. Her confidantes were not there to hear the worries she espoused too often.

But she could not dam the flow; she let the worries fall from her lips. It felt warmer already, as she felt the wind wrap around her shoulders lovingly like she imagined her family would. Empty spaces could offer no advice, but she was comforted, even as the storm came nearer.

She fiddled with her hands, almost afraid of what she was saying next. "I'm scared," she paused. "I'm scared of meeting Luke Skywalker. He's going to want to train me, I know. But I don't want to be a Jedi." She breathed deeply. "I _can't_ be a Jedi. I can't shut out who I am; I'm too emotional. I know it means being close to the Dark, but I can't change who I am.

"I'm on D'Qar, though. So far away from Jakku." Her smile felt empty. "I know I said I would stay—but I had to leave. I know I'm millions of miles away, but I'm okay. I'm okay. I know you aren't coming back, not here, not there, and probably not ever, but that's okay. I'll be okay."

She let herself bask in serenity for a few moments, hearing voices in the wind whispering her name.

 

* * *

Rey followed the cloaked man to his hut, picturesque by the shore. Its waves and ocean wind blew her about, but he was untouched by it. She stooped low for the hut's doorway and took one of five chairs that sat around a table that could not have possibly held so many guests.

Luke sat beside her, looking deeply into her brown eyes as if his small talk held deeper secrets. "I apologize that it isn't much. But, it serves me well for a place like this."

Rey gave a small but genuine smile. "It's fine. I mean, I grew up on Jakku."

"A desert, huh? Guess we do have something in common." He returned her smile.

"Yeah, your sister mentioned that you lived on Tatooine."

His smile slid off his face as a deep frown crept up. "How is Leia?"

Rey's voice caught. "Well. She's, uh, doing well." It was a lie, as Leia fell deeper into her mourning for Han. No member of the Resistance was immune from the sorrow, as a black shroud overtook the community. They could not even properly pay their respects; no body was recovered, so, instead, the Resistance spent the night under the stars and influence of the finest Corellian whiskey to be found. Tales of Han's bravery and charisma were told all around the fire and Rey spent the night wondering, truly, what kind of adventures Han Solo could have taken part of or taken apart. He was, after all, the _nerfherder_ who had stolen Princess Leia's heart and the man who defied limitations.

"Don't lie." He tapped his hands on the table, attempting to lighten the conversation. "She's missing him, isn't she? I am, too. He was a man beyond description."

Rey pressed her lips into a thin line and looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that—"

"Don't be sorry for what couldn't be avoided, Rey. It would have happened anyway," Luke placed his hand closer to hers, extending his grace.

"I watched him. I watched him _walk_ calmly to that monster. He didn't deserve to be cut down so viciously. _He was a good man._ I could have saved him—I could have done anything. I forgot myself. I forgot that one must always be ready." She contained her anger—at both herself and Kylo Ren—into her balled fists.

"Jakku was a hard place to live?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Luke would know that truth too well. He grew up on a place much like Jakku.

"I suppose so. But it made me who I am," she looked up to him. "I still miss my family though."

Luke leaned in a bit closer, still minding her personal space. The once-scavenger was still standoffish, as living alone so long can make someone. "Do you remember them?"

She began, "I—," but let her words die in her throat as the waves grew too loud and the wind blew too harsh for her. She looked around the room, and then to him, as everything grew silent except for the constant thudding of her heart beat in her ears. She regained her voice after taking a deep breath. "I don't remember them. I don't remember anything before Jakku."

Luke stared at her intently, the young woman broken by her past. She held her tears back and gave a brave face. He reached out and grabbed her hand finally, as he let his voice hum and go quiet.

"You look just like your mother."

She had never cried as hard before.


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo Ren neared cell number 2009 and hesitated. He heard some scuffles, but found no need for urgency. That was before he heard the shriek.

He entered, cloak flowing around him as he took in his surroundings. A girl, not old enough to even near the term _woman_ , faced the armed Storm Troopers, despite being held in tight restraints. Her clothes were torn and her forehead bloodied, but Kylo Ren could not be sure if that came before or after she had come onto the base.

He studied her intently, but a Storm Trooper spoke and drew the deep gaze of a mask that inspired fear in the fearless. He lowered his weapon from its trained position on her chest and spoke. "Sir, we have not—"

Kylo Ren held up a hand. "Leave us."

The Storm Troopers left as Kylo Ren turned back to the girl. A small sneer graced his helmet-clad face as he lowered his voice to an unnerving coldness. "You're the daughter of that Resistance pilot, aren't you?" He circled her, taking in his prey that dropped her head so meekly. He dropped to his knees and locked eyes—as much as he could in a helmet. She was familiar, as were her eyes. Who had those _eyes?_

"You're young," He stated it slowly, thinking as he spoke. "Eleven, maybe twelve. So young. Why aren't you crying?"

She closed her eyes to his gaze. "Because I'm strong. Mother and Father told me that. And they're strong."

Kylo Ren rose to his feet and dropped his pretense of gentleness. "Your mother is dead. If you don't tell me where the Resistance base is, your father will be, too."

She struggled against her restraints, but stopped as Kylo Ren slammed a gloved hand by her face. "I won't tell you. You're the bad guy," she stammered quietly.

"Don't be stubborn; I'm not the evil one. I'm losing my patience. Where are they?" He fixed his gloves, as if coming so close to the little traitor may have sullied them. "I don't imagine you'd want me in your head, would you?"

"No! You'll just hurt—" her voice left her. Kylo Ren had waved his hand and exerted his influence on the girl's mind. He could do anything and he knew it. Snoke had taught him well. Memories and nightmares were not beyond his reach as he gave her the worst he could find. After all, for those without training in the ways of the Force, their old fears could cripple them. Kylo Ren had faced such torture in his early days, but his training and the Force held off almost all of the damage.

Snoke had made sure to train Kylo Ren well, and to punish him just as brutally. Kylo Ren could make no more mistakes, not as he had with Rey. He could bear the punishments, even if the pain was almost unbearable, but he had grown heavy with bitterness and misery. He had learned so much in just four months. He learned every style of fighting he could and became even more adept at playing with his victims' minds. He had what Snoke called strength, but he still felt so weak.

  
"Only two days ago, you spoke with your father. Surely you know where the base is. Tell me." He flipped through her memories quickly, passing one that made him pause. He looked down at the girl with sympathy, but did not let it affect his voice. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Her tears fell heavy down her cheeks and sobs wracked her small chest. Her mother's death had a profound effect on the girl, as it did Kylo Ren. He knew her well, too.

She looked at him in horror. "Evil! You're evil! Father told me you killed her!" She let out a loud sob. "Please, stop. Please! I'll tell you where—" She could not stop her sobbing any more.

Kylo Ren took the information, tired of playing with her. She was brave, though—brave and stupid.

He looked at the little girl, who had chosen the wrong side and the wrong battle. She tried to withdraw, but her restraints held her vulnerable. Was it pity he felt, or was it bitterness?

He looked down to her, almost broken. He could push her over. He could break her, show her how _stupid_ it was to fight such a pointless battle.

"I killed my father, too."

 

* * *

"They're not on Hoth, anymore. They must have only been there a few days." General Hux held himself as professionally as if he were in the war room, despite being in the doorway to Kylo Ren's bedroom.

Kylo Ren nodded. "Then I will find them again. Good night, General." He turned from the general and let the door slide close behind him. He could only hold his demeanor for a moment before falling straight to the floor, exhaustion trapping him.

He didn't sleep anymore. He couldn't. He was too busy training, scouting, and maintaining an image that relied on constant arguments with Hux and an overwhelming devotion to the Dark, no matter how the Light called to him.

Legs shaking, he stood to remove his helmet. It was a thing of beauty, rounded and polished to the deepest black imaginable. It was beautiful, but he could not stand to look at it any longer. It was a symbol of his triumph over the light, even if that triumph was not yet won. He threw it to the corner of his room, banished from it from his sight until the morning. He stripped off his cloak and armor and fell into his bed and, with it, sleep.

Then, he was standing.

Wind blew his hair and sand grazed his skin, as much of an annoyance to him as his grandfather before him. The two suns were setting and letting their fleeting light turn the tall sand dunes surrounding him golden.

He saw her, standing among the dunes. Clad in a gray two-piece suit instead of her scavenger garb, her stare was as resolute as her stance. Her staff rested in her hands.

Kylo Ren hardened his gaze at the young woman, no more than five feet away from him. She was more confident, clearly; her power was more intense as well.

"Kylo Ren," she nodded in greeting as if he was an old comrade than a man who violated the deepest reaches of her mind.

"Rey." Her hair laid the same as when he found her—bound in knots, not unlike his own mother. But he was not here to admire her clothing or her hair. "You've become stronger."

"As did you."

She must be training, surrounded by the Resistance. Maybe he could get the truth from her, let her slip in her hope to retrieve their precious little _Ben_. "Where is the Resistance's base—"

"I would be an idiot to tell you." She let the hardness fall, almost to a smile. "Luke told me all about you."

 _Luke_. He froze in surprise. He expected a challenge, a change of heart, _something_. Not this.

  
"He doesn't know anything about me." His voice held strong even through his heart pounded in his chest.

"I know, for a fact, that you're an amazing pilot. You used to race _pods_ ," Rey said calmly. "You stayed with your uncle because your parents were always so busy." She approached him slowly until she was almost in his face.

"Kylo Ren is weak. But you, Ben Solo, aren't."

He leaned into her, as aggressive in his defense as she was in her insistence. "You're mistaken. Ben Solo was _weak,_ Rey. I killed him, easily, when I killed my father—"

"Don't you say that. He was  _never_ your father," her voice grew hard again. "Because you were never his son."

As if it were mirroring her rage, the wind whipped around them, picking sand up as it blew past. Two suns rose in the sky and Kylo Ren had to work to suppress a grin from his face.

Rey sighed. "She still believes there's light in you. No matter how many _times_ we argue, she always calls us wrong. Your mother _still_ wants you back after what you've done."

Kylo Ren let his controlled demeanor fall as he balled his fists. "Convince her harder. You're right. There is no light in me." His blood ran cold as he said what he desperately wanted to believe, hoping that maybe if his mother gave up, he could give himself up wholly to Snoke and the First Order.

Rey gave him a look with nothing but pity. "I'm sorry that I'll have to tell your mother that."

She, the stars, and the sand faded until Kylo Ren lay on his bed, alone and tangled in its dark sheets. He rose, clutching at his chest and he blinked away his tears. She wanted him back, even knowing what he had done. But he had made his decision. He was never going back to his mother, or to the Light.

His hands rooted around his bedside table in the dark room. Finding his comlink, he alerted General Hux. With a deep breath, he steadied himself and adopted the dark to become the knight of Ren he had shaped himself into.

"The Resistance is on Tatooine."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus! Yes, I am alive but I had a stroke of bad luck in school. And since I feel bad about the wait, here's the unedited version of chapter four! I'll repost it soon after my beta reader corrects my many and unintentional mistakes.
> 
> PS listen/watch Hamilton! It's a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and he's my latest intellectual crush. And Anthony Ramos is also my new crush who's cute af (he plays John Laurens and Philip hamilton.)

**** Rey stared at the door, waiting for the man in the mask to enter any moment.

Her hands were shackled, her feet chained together taking her mobility away from her. The cold touch of the metal walls didn't help much with the thin garb they forced her to wear, making her shiver as the vents sent cold air to her body, kissing her lips until they were purple.

No, they hadn't touched her then, they left her alone in a dark room with nothing except a key right across the floor where she sat, slumped on the wall. That key would give her freedom they said but she knew very well what would happen if she opened that door. She already tried once and that had taken her a long time, figuring out how to pick the key and unlock the door with her restraints. When she figured it out, she stepped out and they stunned her immediately until she could barely move without feeling pain travel through her body. They beat her up and told her if she fought them and won, they would let her go.

It was a cruel trick.

And every two days, they returned with a glass of water and a small proportion of food, even smaller than what she usually received on Jakku. They taunted her, telling they would give her more if she would just cooperate and tell them where Luke Skywalker fled to but she would always refuse and shake her head. In return, they beat her up until her face was smeared with blood and neck discoloured with purple blotches in the form of long fingers. They would then leave her with the food approximately ten feet away from her with a towel as always. And as always, she had to drag herself to reach the towel and wipe herself clean, feeling her wounds sting as the rough cloth touched them.

It had been approximately nine days since she was captured by the masked man but he never once showed his face after they threw her in. But still, she waited for him to show his cowardly face, waited for him to appear and rub it in her face that he won and she didn't.

The day passed and he still didn't come.

“Where is Luke Skywalker!? Answer me!”

The red headed man slapped her but Rey kept looking forward, staring at the door behind him as always. Her pain tolerance increased drastically as the days passed. She already lost count after the twelfth day, deciding it was useless to count the days she remained behind the walls of the First Order's detainment area. Her faith in the Resistance began to fade little by little the more the days went by without any news from them, any implication that they were trying to do something. They attempted to saved her once, so why not then?

“Won't you speak up, scavenger?” The General growled. “Tell us, where is your master, Padawan.”

Rey blinked at him. “I'm not his Padawan,” She said.

“Then tell me, scavenger,” he grabbed her face with his leather gloved hand and forced her to look at his cold dark eyes. “What are you?”

“I'm a girl; I am no one,” Rey spat. “And you are too.”

The General pushed her down and adjusted his gloves, looking down at her with disgust. “I am the General of the First Order and if you aren't anything, then you are nothing to my eyes.”

“If I am nothing, then I am worth nothing of your time,” Rey said, clenching her fists, feeling the void in her chest only grow larger.

“Unfortunately, you hold information we seek. Right now, you are a tool that won't work,” the General said. “And we have to make you work.”

The General regarded her again, a flicker of some emotion Rey didn't recognise flash through his eyes. “Kylo Ren was right. You are  _ annoyingly _ strong.”

Rey sat there, silent for a single beat then began to scream at the General who merely turned his back at the young woman and left the chamber. The anger that boiled beneath her skin for too long was finally released, letting all her frustrations and pain out.

“Where is that bastard!? Why hasn't he shown his face?” Rey screamed, ignoring the Knights of Ren trying to restrain her. “Ben Solo, where are you!? Where is your leader? I he so much of a coward he can't even face me?”

“Be quiet, girl!” A man whose face was hidden by a black and red streaked metallic mask raised his hand and closed it into a fist. Suddenly, Rey couldn't breathe, feeling her air passageways being blocked by an invisible hand.

“I... Kylo Ren...” Rey struggled to breathe but she needed to be heard. She knew he was listening to her somewhere.

After a minute of struggling, the man dropped his hand causing Rey to drop her head back on the wall. Her eyes rolled to the top as she breathed heavily, regaining her breath. Her hair was out of place, falling to her shoulder blades, pieces of hair finding its way to the front of her face. She closed her eyes as the Knights of Ren surrounded her.

When she woke up, she was shivering from the cold, her teeth chattering from the cold air. She wouldn’t last any longer. She would surely die there if she didn’t act fast.

The chamber doors opened once again and Rey was already slipping out of her consciousness again. Her eyes were already closed when she felt a pair of strong hands lift her from her fetal position. No doubt, she was a mess but she knew this man who lifted her from the cold ground that burnt her skin whenever she turned or shifted. She knew that the man who probably saved her from her misery was someone she hated, a foe who needed to be punished for his crimes.

“Why did… you kill….” Rey felt tears burn her eyes.

The man said nothing but simply walked straight ahead, never turning left or right. Then he stopped for a moment before proceeding again. He gently set her down on what felt like clouds and tucked a blanket of warmth around her freezing body. She felt his weight on the side of the bed and heard a sob escape his lips but she was far too delirious to even care at that point.

“I did what I had to do.”

That’s the last thing she hears before she falls to a much more comfortable sleep, without any nightmares and no dreams as well. Only the void of darkness greeted her and nothing less, nothing more than that came to her.

Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's fucking short so please forgive me. I hope you guys enjoy and i hope you remember this c:


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terrible I know. This is so late. I'm terribly sorry for the long awaited one month wait!! I was just busy with school but never fear! I'm here now :))

To Kylo Ren, ignoring people is a task that no one had to do much effort on. But to ignore someone who calls his name almost every three hours in frenzied words he almost can't make out and jerky breaths and anger mixed with desperation, it hurts him. It hurts him and he hated that.

So he buried himself in work, attended meetings that made General Hux raise an eyebrow to. He meditated, trained, went on missions-anything just to keep her out of his mind. But still, her presence lingered and he could feel her pain and hunger and the desperation in her grow. And as that desperation grew, the bitterness and the void in her chest grew as well, pulling her closer and closer to the darkness.

Even the Knights if Ren knew it and they were starting to convene meetings about her with piqued interest.

“I really hope she joins us. Or at least join the dark side,” Ez'lle Ren said. “It would be better to have her as an ally.”

“It would.” Torre Ren agreed.

Kylo Ren said nothing.

But as days passed, he could feel her energy fade, sometimes her own consciousness disappears for a day and sometimes even two days. Still, he didn't budge, keeping his guard up on the girl that seemed to have stolen his mind and thoughts.

But that day was absolutely terrifying for him, hearing nothing but silence from her in a very long time. When she slept, he still heard whispers from the recesses of her mind but that day, no sound came. And when it was quiet, he could still feel her presence, like a faint blip on a radar that did nothing to bother him too much but there was nothing but absolute silence and don't get him wrong, he was relieved it was finally quiet but he was worried; did they kill her?

“Sir! General Hux requests your audience.”

Kylo Ren sent a nod towards the woman who carried the message to him before heading to the command centre. No doubt would their conversation be about their prisoner, the girl.

When he entered he spotted the man he detested almost immediately. He stood out from the others with waves of authority rolling off him as he stared down at them as if mentally taking notes about each and every one of them. Everyone knew that the General did not make jokes, took no breaks from his work; he hardly slept anymore ever since Snoke ordered him to track down the last Jedi down in under three months.

He moved briskly to General Hux who stood stiffly once he stood beside him. They watched the members of the First Order run around the ship, pressing flashing buttons and reading reports from their screens. Their boots made squeaking sounds as they hit the pristine floors, soft murmurs reaching their ears as they talked over their comlinks, informing their heads of statistics and plans.

They said nothing to each other

“You have the girl,” the General said slowly, like he was carefully picking his words.

“It seems like I do,” Kylo replied, not a trace of emotion in his voice.

The General faced him and for the first time, Kylo Ren saw how tired he was. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair wasn’t in its usual sleek state but instead ruffled and unruly. His composure was almost half gun and in those moments, Kylo Ren felt sorry for Hux.

“Kylo, what did you do?” The fear in the General's voice actually shocked the Knight of Ren, almost making him stepping away from the red headed man.

Instead, he faced him and spoke with a quiet voice. “Nothing, General. You will find her back in her cell tomorrow and I assure you, nothing happened.”

He turned to walk away but was stopped when he felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder.

“Kylo, you are reckless and I know you know that but,” Hux said. “This is a game that will go too far in the end, you know that, right? Truth be told, I know that the Resistance will end up winning but I will always be here, Kylo. I have a legacy to uphold.”

Kylo looked down. “But you? This is not your path. I've always known that and that's why you're attracted to this girl. You don't belong here, Kylo. You belong to the light.” He said.

With a condescending nod, Hux walked away from Kylo Ren as if he said nothing so personal to him, like they still had hands gripped around each other's necks. But Kylo knew they weren't anymore, just two men that knew the truth.

And that scared Kylo Ren. No, it terrified him that it was the truth.

With shaky breaths, he went back to his room to take Rey back to her cell. When he arrived, she was sitting on top of his bed with closed eyes and crossed legs.

“So you're here,” Rey stated, not bothering to open her eyes.

“And you're awake,” Kylo stated.

Rey opened her eyes and almost immediately, she was on her feet, slamming him against the wall. Somehow, Kylo knew there was something wrong with her. A feeling of dread came over him as she snarled at him, the force radiating from her almost throwing him off balance.

“You're so weak, Ben Solo. That's your secret isn't it? You still stand on the side of the light,” she was shaking, lips quivering as she pressed harder against him.

“Maybe. Hey, calm down.” He said.

She shook her head and she was off him, retracting to the corner of his room. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes and he realised that she was so thin. How much did she eat?

“You used up too much of your energy. Would you like to eat?” Kylo asked.

“Go away. How long was I in that cell?” Her voice shook when she said cell and it made Kylo wonder even more how hard was the torture she experienced.

“Almost two months,” Kylo said softly.

Then, she was crying. Under the course of two minutes, she cursed the Resistance, the First Order, a man named Finn, his own mother and his stupid uncle, then continued to mumble strings of words that he couldn't understand.

“Rey. Stop. Please,” Kylo bent down to her level and took off his helmet, looking at her tenderly. “There's a reason why they haven't came.”

He took a steady breath to calm himself. “Because I killed my mother, the General.”


End file.
